Battery operated electronic devices, such as cell phones, employ rechargeable batteries that must be recharged when the battery charge is depleted. Electric and hybrid vehicles also employ rechargeable batteries in their drive systems that must be recharged when the battery charge is depleted. Typically, electric-powered or electronic devices are physically connected to an electrical charger via a wire connection. The batteries employed in hybrid and electric vehicles are also typically connected to a charger via a wire connection. More recently, wireless charging devices, such as inductive chargers, have been developed to charge these batteries without any physical wire connection between the electronic receiver device or vehicle and the transmitter charging device.
Wireless chargers generate an electrical signal in the form of an electromagnetic field through the use of electromagnetic transducers to transfer the electric energy from the charging device to the battery or device having a battery being charged. Inductive chargers generate an electrical signal in the form of a magnetic field through the use of inductive coils to transfer the electric energy from the charging device to the battery in the device or vehicle having a battery being charged. Inductive chargers have been proposed for use in vehicles at various locations within the cockpit of the vehicle having a battery, typically near the driver and other passengers for the sake of convenience to allow easy access to the devices. Inductive chargers have also been proposed for use in charging batteries employed in the drive systems of hybrid and electric vehicles (e.g., battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)).
The electromagnetic fields (EMF) generated by such inductive chargers may overlap with an occupant, pedestrian and/or foreign objects within or in proximity to the vehicle. The EMF associated with charging a battery used in the drive system of a hybrid or electric vehicle can be particularly high in energy. It is therefore desirable to provide a wireless charger within a vehicle, and wireless charging systems used with batteries employed in the drive system of electric and hybrid vehicles, in a safe manner. For example, it would be advantageous to minimize the exposure of electromagnetic fields to a user such as a driver and other passengers in the vehicle, and/or foreign objects or pedestrians in proximity to such chargers and systems.
Over the past decade, a rise in the cost of precious metals (e.g., platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold) has spurred an increase in thefts of catalytic converters used in vehicles. The catalytic converters used in most automobiles contain precious metals. Thieves have been known to physically remove catalytic converters from the underside of parked vehicles. The threat to vehicle dealerships is acute, as many dealerships possess hundreds of vehicles parked in showrooms and outdoor lots. Trucks, vans and SUVs are particularly vulnerable to catalytic converter theft as these vehicles sit high off of the ground. The replacement cost for a catalytic converter can exceed $1000, not including the costs associated with inoperability of the vehicle until repair.
Known approaches to deterring and/or preventing the theft of catalytic converters rely on devices and components that mechanically secure the converter to the vehicle. These devices and components may consist of a series of cables, clamps and the like designed to attach the converter to the vehicle in a configuration that cannot be readily removed by a would-be thief. These components and devices are fairly expensive and may approach $300, up to a third of the replacement cost of the catalytic converter. In addition, these mechanically-oriented catalytic converter theft deterrent and preventions systems can add appreciable weight to the vehicle with an adverse effect on fuel efficiency. Even if the thief or other would-be criminal is deterred from tampering with and/or stealing the catalytic converters afforded protection by these mechanical devices, these individuals may still inflict significant damage to the vehicle before being deterred. It is therefore desirable to provide catalytic converter protection systems that can deter would-be criminals from damaging and/or stealing these catalytic converter systems in the first instance, before such damage has been inflicted to the systems.